A Return to the Outibridge Area

Yesterday morning we had a few things to do locally and then we took a break by driving to the Outibridge area.  I had wanted to visit a park that was mentioned on The Repair Shop television programme when a lady came in with an interactive mechanical game that had belonged to her father.  I paid even more attention when I heard that he had been a park keeper in a small park in the Upper  River Don Valley region and on further research on the internet I found out that it looked like a lovely place with waterfalls and stone bridges and so on.  I'd also hoped to take a walk alongside the river if I could find a safe place for Mr P to park.  In the end it was difficult to get down to the river and up into the forest trails of Wharncliffe Crags.  We would have had to drive further on to a parking area by a disused railway station and gone from there.  We didn't find the park either so we went back to Outibridge which is more familiar to us.  It was also getting quite hot and Mr P sat in the shade on a low stone wall in Outibridge Park.  (The park could do with a few more benches). 

Here are some of my photos I took as I walked around.  The walk by the river was particularly refreshing and I found a road that takes you along part of it to the Memorial Pavilion and Cricket Ground where I could have gone on walking along a path by the river.  Again, that will have to wait as I needed to get back to Mr P sitting in the park.  

Washing the windows of the apartment block on the other side of the river - the maintenance men were doing a good job!

Soon I was back in the village and park to meet up with Mr P.

I picked up a few pine cones when out walking as a reminder of our morning out and about.

I hope you enjoyed the drive out to Outibridge (pronounced Ootibridge by the locals).  Thank you for your visit.  Have a good day!

(I'm having intermittent problems with my internet server going on and off so if you don't hear from me you'll know why.  Let's hope the problem settles down and then I'll be back soon).

A Sunny Sunday

On a sunny Sunday afternoon there was the simple pleasure of being able to visit our local daughter and family for only the second time this year because of the travel and socialising restrictions (the first being just before my May birthday).  We were thankful that we could sit in the garden which was looking pretty, enjoy the company, meet our grandson's girlfriend and enjoy cool drink and finger food pizzas, chocolate cake and strawberries. 

 

In the morning our son called in for a short while for a chat, a coffee and chocolate éclairs.  Our own garden was the place to be although now we can also meet indoors making sure the room is well ventilated. How happy we are that some restrictions have been lifted and we can meet our loved ones again that live relatively close by.  In the evening we had a phone call from one of Mr P's sisters living in Italy after they retired there from the UK and we caught up with her family news.  A grandson and girlfriend are getting married this month, postponed last year because of the pandemic. Being down in Berkshire with still restricted numbers of guests it's not possible to attend.  A bigger celebration party is planned for a time when all the restrictions are lifted.  Of course, travel in Europe is still on hold so it's impossible for my elderly sister-in-law and husband to come over to the UK as had once been arranged.  Whilst feeling happy that the ceremony can go ahead it's sad that distance and the pandemic present many challenges.

 

Our garden:

 

There have been some firsts this season in the flower garden;  the first clematis Voluceau, the first sweetpeas growing on a cane structure surrounded by marigolds, the first peonies in the front and back gardens and the first Mrs Bradshaw geum growing in a planter in another corner of the garden.

Oh and I nearly forgot about the first roses in the front garden raised border (small bushes that are now beginning to produce blooms after a bit of a pruning last year). Other well established roses have yet to bloom although they do have buds on them.

There are pansies dotted about as bedding plants.  The white alliums have opened up their flower heads even more, pink and blue aquilegias and the poppies are now attracting the bees. Two parrot tulips were late flowering because they were planted in a shady spot by the back drystone wall.  Soon the shrub bushes and other plants will produce flowers which means more colour in the Summer months.

 The dry weather has meant that Mr P has been busy in the week in the garden areas.  The tomatoes growing in the greenhouse and covered yard are to be grown as cordons so here is Mr P putting up the supporting string for them.

I hope you had a good weekend.  I look forward to catching up with your blogs.  Thank you for coming by.  Have a good day!